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Inside Spencer: The KSRL Blog

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Welcome to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library blog! As the special collections and archives library at the University of Kansas, Spencer is home to remarkable and diverse collections of rare and unique items. Explore the blog to learn about the work we do and the materials we collect.

That’s Distinctive!: New School Year

August 18th, 2023

Check the blog each Friday for a new “That’s Distinctive!” post. I created the series because I genuinely believe there is something in our collections for everyone, whether you’re writing a paper or just want to have a look. “That’s Distinctive!” will provide a more lighthearted glimpse into the diverse and unique materials at Spencer – including items that many people may not realize the library holds. If you have suggested topics for a future item feature or questions about the collections, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

“First day of school! First day of school!” Nemo says excitedly in the beginning of Finding Nemo. The return to school is often an exciting time for students around the country. After a lengthy summer break, students are ready to return to the classroom with their new clothes, classroom supplies, and fancy lunch boxes. The night before, old routines are picked back up and much thought is put into the perfect first day outfit. Teachers have spent weeks preparing for the return of students, prepping to provide a safe and welcoming space for all identities.

Color image of Nemo with the phrase "first day of school."

As it is once again time for students of all ages to head back to school, I thought it would be fun to share some Lawrence Journal-World photos from 1954 and 1955. The folders containing the photos are labeled “Back to School Edition.” The Journal-World Photograph Collection consists of approximately 660 boxes that house photos ranging from the 1950s through 2001. There are about 545 boxes of negatives, and an additional 113 boxes hold physical prints. Many of the photos involving KU have been removed from the collection and re-housed within University Archives.

Black-and-white photograph of a young boy in long pants and a plaid short-sleeve shirt, standing at home and holding a couple of books at his hip.
A boy with his schoolbooks, 1954. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.
Black-and-white photograph of a young girl in a dress walking down the steps in front of a house.
A girl on the front steps, 1954. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.
Black-and-white photograph of an older woman sitting at a table with an open book.
A woman, possibly a teacher, with a book, 1955. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.
Black-and-white photograph of a woman sitting at a typewriter with a piece of paper in her hand.
A woman, possibly a Lawrence School District employee, typing a budget ledger on a typewriter, 1955. Lawrence Journal-World Photograph Collection. Call Number: RH PH LJW. Click image to enlarge.

Tiffany McIntosh
Public Services

The Roots of Public Education in Lawrence, Kansas

August 14th, 2018

If it’s August, then it must be time for school to resume!

The earliest settlers in what would become Lawrence, Kansas, also wanted school to begin, and as quickly as feasibly possible. The first immigrant party arrived at the town site in August 1854. It was made up of twenty-nine men, all members of the New England Emigrant Aid Company, the mission of which was to ensure that slavery would be illegal in Kansas when it became a state. Specifically written into their original petition was the provision that immigrants coming to Kansas Territory would be provided with public education. True to their word, Lawrence’s founders held the first public classes on January 15, 1855, just five months after their arrival. Edward P. Fitch of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, was the first teacher. Estimates of the number of students in that first class vary between eight and twenty.

Photograph of Edward Fitch, the first teacher in Lawrence, undated

Edward P. Fitch, the first teacher in Lawrence, undated. Photo courtesy
of the Douglas County Historical Society, Watkins Museum of History.
Used with permission from Roger Fitch. Click image to enlarge.

The second teacher was Kate Kellogg, and unfortunately no photo of her is available. Kate returned east after her marriage. She was followed by Lucy Wilder, who held a teaching position in Lawrence for many years. Lucy came to Kansas in 1855 with her father, Abram Wilder.

Photograph of Lucy Wilder, third teacher in Lawrence, undated

Lucy Wilder, the third teacher in Lawrence, undated. Lawrence Photo Collection.
Call Number: RH PH 18 K:140. Click image to enlarge.

The first public high school in Kansas was Quincy School, established in Lawrence in March 1857. The school building was constructed ten years later at 11th and Vermont Streets. It was possibly named in honor of Edmund Quincy, a benefactor of the New England Emigrant Aid Company. By 1876 this high school was one of four university-accredited schools in the state.

Photograph of Quincy School, undated

Quincy School, undated. Photo in Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas:
An Informal History
by David Dary, page 272. Call Number: RH D9258.
Credited to the Kansas Historical Society. Click image to enlarge.

In addition to the schools located within the city limits of Lawrence, there have been as many as eighty-three rural schools located throughout Douglas County. With a few exceptions, most were one-room buildings that served as community centers and church meeting places as well as classrooms. The last rural school, Twin Mound No. 32, closed its doors in 1966, more than one hundred years after the first school opened.

Photograph of Burnette School No. 62, undated

Burnette School No. 62, undated. Lotta Watson, teacher. Shane-Thompson
Photo Collection. Call Number: RH PH 500.1:47. Click image to enlarge.

Photograph of Crowder School No. 69, undated

Crowder School No. 69, undated. Jesse Ady, teacher. Shane-Thompson
Photo Collection. Call Number: RH PH 500.1:60. Click image to enlarge.

Photograph of Fairview School No. 21, undated

Fairview School No. 21, undated. Shane-Thompson Photo Collection.
Call Number: RH PH 500.1:58. Click image to enlarge.

Photograph of Kaw Valley School No. 12, undated

Kaw Valley School No. 12, undated. Maryane Brune, teacher. Shane-Thompson
Photo Collection. Call Number: RH PH 500.1:62. Click image to enlarge.

Photograph of White School No. 61, 1955

Undersheriff Charles Edmondson helps children cross Highway 40-59 near Teepee Junction,
White School, District 61, September 14, 1955. Lawrence Journal-World Photo Collection.
Call Number: RH PH LJW 9.14.55. Click image to enlarge.

Kathy Lafferty
Public Services

SOURCES CONSULTED:

Crafton, Allen. Free State Fortress: The First Ten Years of the History of Lawrence, Kansas. Lawrence: The World Company, 1954. Call Number: UA C79.

Daniels, Goldie Piper. Rural Schools and Schoolhouses of Douglas County, Kansas. Baldwin City, Kansas: Telegraphics, 1975? Call Number: RH D5195.

Dary, David. Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas: An Informal History. Lawrence: Allen Books, 1982. Call Number: RH D9258.

Kansas Women Schoolteachers Project records. Call Number: RH MS 872. Kansas Collection, Kenneth Spencer Research Library.